Caffeinated Clint
When it was announced last year that instead of dry-humping the trend, Warner Bros and director Tim Burton would be sequelizing their beloved ’80s gem “Beetlejuice”, the only question that ostensibly remained was “Will Michael Keaton return!?”
Writer Seth Grahame-Smith (“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”), currently on writing duties, tells Shock Till You Drop that he’s just spoken to Keaton about reprising his pre-Batman role of ‘The Ghost with the Most’.
*Clint cartwheels around office*
“I met with Michael Keaton last week, we talked for a couple of hours and talked about big picture stuff”, the author cum screenwriter tells the site, adding that Keaton is hugely excited to be reprising the part. “He’s been wanting to do it for 20 years and he’ll talk to anybody about it who will listen. I really told him, I have a huge reverence for Tim and a huge reverence for that film in general. I don’t think we should do it if we shit on the legacy. He agrees. So, right now, it remains to be seen, I have a couple of story ideas, but we’re very early out.”
But key words followed : “It’s a priority for Warner Bros. It’s a priority for Tim”.
Granted, it’s been a priority for WB and Burton since 1992, when the studio commissioned a script called “Beetlejuice goes Hawaii”. So bad it was, the trees surrounding those that were chopped down and used as screenplay-paper committed suicide upon hearing the synopsis.
Still, Grahame-Smith seems to have an idea when he might get the film done.
”Right now, I am writing an animated movie for Tim based on an idea of mine. Then I adapt Unholy Night [based on the upcoming book]. The third I am hoping is Beetlejuice in terms of writing schedule.”
I wonder if, like “Tron Legacy” and “Crystal Skull”, and the other tardy sequels that I fail to remember at this moment, they plan on bringing any of the supporting characters back? I know Geena Davis is very keen to come back, she told me last year when I spoke to her, but as she said how are they going to explain her and Alec [Baldwin]’s significant aging since the 1988 pic? After all, they’re supposed to be ghosts. Good point. Winona Ryder wasn’t a ghost, she could do it.
